Oddly enough the name Quakers Friars says it all; These buildings started life as a Dominican Friary, were handed over to the Bristol Guilds, only to be bought by the Bristol Quaker community before finally becoming Bristol’s Registry Office.

The Dominicans established the friary outside the city wall in the early 13th century, the Dominicans known as “black friars” due to their black hoods remained there till the 16th century when following a few marital problems Henry VIII closed the Monastry. The buildings were then converted to simple accommodation before the Bristol Guilds took them over from 1499 till the late seventeen hundreds. After that came a long and glorious residency by the Quakers who not only built the two meeting halls on the site but also built the “modern” structure now connecting Bakers and Cutlers.

The two halls are all that are left of the original quadrangle, the connecting building dates back to only the 18th century. We are not sure, but it is thought that they would have originally been the library and the dormitory